


Baby, my Baby

by kat_fanfic



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Dragon Egg, Hatching, M/M, pseudo-mpreg, soulbonds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-06
Updated: 2012-12-06
Packaged: 2017-11-20 12:00:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kat_fanfic/pseuds/kat_fanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin, Arthur, a dragon egg, oh my…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby, my Baby

The moment Merlin saw the egg he was transfixed. It was shimmering gently as if illuminated by an inner light, and as he stared at it, he thought he detected a small moving shape behind the thick shells. It looked like a typical egg aside from the whole glowing thing though it was much bigger than any egg Merlin had ever seen before. If held, it would fit in the span of his arms, he figured, if barely so.

Ignoring Arthur’s more or less constant stream of complaints as the Prince puttered around the huge cavern in search of clues as to how the Great Dragon had escaped, Merlin stepped closer to the egg. 

It was half-hidden by a huge mountain of half-rotten cow carcasses and if not for the strange pull in his mind, Merlin would have surely missed it. He frowned at the thought.

Stopping short, he concentrated on the whisper in his mind that urged him to //Cradle, Help, Protect//. 

He shuddered a bit, half-closing his eyes to concentrate better. Mind-speak never was a good sign in Merlin’s own humble opinion. Only, as he examined the strange connection, he discerned that it wasn’t nearly as demanding as Mordred or the Dragon had been. 

In fact, when he thought about it, it wasn’t even a real voice. More like feelings that were projected directly into his head, feelings like //Confusion// and //Curiosity//, accompanied by a strong desire to be found. 

With a pang, Merlin suddenly realized that the small dragon inside the egg was lonely. And whoa, how did he even know that it was a dragon-egg? 

Amusement that wasn’t his own echoed in his skull and Merlin stifled a groan. Great. This was just what he needed, a Baby Kilgarrah showing up to make his life even more difficult. This was probably the Great Dragon’s evil plan to drive him mad and thus get rid of the last Dragonlord. 

All of a sudden sadness overwhelmed him, almost driving him to his knees. “I’m sorry,” Merlin gasped involuntarily, bringing one hand up to his head as if to soothe the phantom pain that resided there. “I didn’t mean it.”

“Did you say something, Merlin?” Arthur’s voice echoed strangely off the uneven stone-walls.

“No,” Merlin called back after catching his breath. “Just talking to myself.”

“You do that a lot,” he heard Arthur grumbling, sounding like he was moving away. “And people find *me* strange.”

Ignoring his pratty Prince, Merlin turned back to the glowing egg. He studied it intently, chewing his lip in concentration. He couldn’t leave it here, that much was obvious. Aside from the connection he could already feel become permanent in his head, there was also the fact that in the wrong hands, a baby dragon could be turned into the deadliest weapon of all.

An almost childish kind of //Superior Indignation// ran through Merlin’s mind, making him roll his eyes in annoyance. 

“So you think you’re going to be alright, huh?” He murmured as he clambered over hills of bones, left by decades of Kilgarrah’s feedings. “No-one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do? Ah, well, but have you even thought about the many, many ingredients a warlock or witch could harvest from you? They wouldn’t even need your cooperation, you dumb lizard, they’d just kill you on the spot and take anything…”

He trailed off suddenly, unable to move. Fear crashed over him, unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It was an overwhelming, all-encompassing panic, immobilizing him and forcing a terrified whimper from his tight throat. 

Looking around wildly, searching for the kind of danger qualified to trigger this reaction, it actually took Merlin a moment to decipher the feeling as not his own. All this panic and confusion belonged to the tiny dragon residing in its fragile home.

“No,” Merlin moaned, gasping as he tried to find the almost tangible connection in his head. “It’s alright, baby, you’re safe here. I’m sorry I scared you. Nobody will hurt you, I promise! Shh, calm down, please…”

Finally he found it: a deep blue string of interwoven light strands that seemed to be tethered to his forehead. Following it back to its source, he immediately sent out a strong wave of calming energy, saturating it with reassurance and affection. 

Slowly, he felt the panic recede under his ministrations. Merlin gave a sigh of relief as the crashing weight of foreign feelings lifted off his shoulders.

So busy with sending calming thoughts, he didn’t notice at first just what kind of feelings the small dragon sent back. As he eventually did, Merlin had to stifle the urge to bash his head against a convenient boulder. 

//Satisfaction// radiated from the egg, along with //Giddiness// and a sense of //Belonging// that was entirely focused on Merlin. Any remaining thoughts of giving the small dragon-egg away vanished instantly from his mind as he felt on a deep primal level that he’d just been claimed. 

Sighing, torn between despair and a strange sense of happiness, Merlin looked at the pulsating egg that held his new companion. A stray thought ran through his mind and he had to quash a hysteric urge to giggle. 

Gaius was so going to kill him.

 

* * * *

 

Naturally, actually getting to the egg turned out to be a lot more difficult than, say, build a life-long telepathic connection to a member of a next to extinct species. It was probably all part of a grand conspiracy to teach him humility or some such nonsense, Merlin mused, while shoving slimy, stinking carcasses out of the way. 

He’d thought about using magic, of course he had, but even though the Prince was still on the other side of the cavern, every now and then the warlock could see the wavering light of Arthur’s torch flicker over to him and didn’t dare to risk it. 

After all, the last thing he needed right now was another magical mishap to happen right under Arthur’s nose.

A feeling that felt suspiciously like the dragon-equivalent of a //Giggle// floated through Merlin’s mind. “You stop that right now, young man,” he admonished, even going as far as wagging a finger at the half-buried egg. “You will not make fun of me while I’m wading knee-deep in last month’s dinner to get you free, am I clear?”

A clear sense of //Contriteness// washed over him, followed by //Affection// and //Comfort//. Merlin shuddered in blissful complacency and fought a smile, even as another wave of stink wafted up to his nose.

Diving back in, he’d just managed to get his hands under the egg and was just about to pull, when Arthur suddenly appeared right beside him. 

“Merlin? What are you doing?”

Squeaking in fright, Merlin couldn’t abort the motion and spraying cow innards everywhere, the egg plopped free of the carrion like a cork out of a bottle. Fighting for his balance at the abrupt release while still holding on to the slippery egg, Merlin scrabbled about for something to hold him upright. 

Not finding anything except spongy half-rotten cow remains, he had just about resigned himself to landing face down in them, when strong hands descended on his shoulders to steady him.

“Really Merlin,” Arthur rumbled directly in his ear. “Watching you, one would think you had no grace at all.”

In that moment, three things happened simultaneously. 

Shuddering in unexpected arousal at Arthur’s sudden nearness, Merlin forgot for a moment that holding a dragon egg wasn’t the smartest thing to do around the Crown Prince of Camelot. 

Eyes widening in realization at what it was that was pressed so tightly between their bodies, Arthur reached out to touch the thick shell before thinking about it.

//Joy// and a curious sense of //Recognition// flooded Merlin’s mind, and before he could do anything to stop it, a new strand of blue light had established and connected gently with Arthur’s creased forehead.

“Great,” Merlin murmured, as Arthur stared in wonder at the pulsating dragon egg in Merlin’s arms. As Arthur stood unmoving, Merlin sighed and, focusing on his connection to the dragon baby, he added crossly: “If you broke him, he’s your responsibility.”

After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably no longer than a few moments, Arthur strongly shook his head and finally met Merlin’s concerned gaze. There was a soft light shining in his pale blue eyes and a gentle smile played around his lips.

Merlin stared. 

Arthur under normal circumstances was beautiful, but like this? It was all he could do not to throw himself at the man before him. If this was a glimpse of what Arthur would look like after being made a father, Merlin would gladly get pregnant for him, biology be damned. 

Startled out of his stupor by the strange thought Merlin offered an unsure smile, unable to read his Prince as to what he thought of the situation at hand. 

“Are you alright?” he asked faintly with more than a little trepidation. If this went wrong, if Arthur’s connection to the little dragon baby didn’t induce the same protective instinct that it did in Merlin, then he’d have no choice but to leave, and leave forever. 

It pained him, even the idea of going, of having to leave Arthur behind to fend for himself. 

//Warmness// lapped at him from where he had the egg pressed to his chest, along with some //Appreciation// and a touch of {Amused Exasperation}. It felt really good and Merlin basked in the feeling…

Wait. 

Head snapping up to stare at Arthur, he finally noticed the sly grin and alongside it, a tiny blue strand leading from his own head directly to Arthur’s. 

“Oh, no,” he moaned as the implications of this hit Merlin in the gut like a sledgehammer.

“Oh, yes,” Arthur answered, sounding deeply amused. “Looks like infant dragon here was real busy.”

“He connected us!” Merlin gasped. “To each other! He connected us. To. Each. Other!”

“Feels like it,” Arthur commented, eerily calm, despite the fact that his mind was now permanently linked to a dragon and a servant alike. Gesturing towards the egg, the Prince added: “Oh, and you do realize that he thinks you’re his Mommy, right?”

Glancing around, Merlin’s longing gaze fell on the boulder not two steps away. It looked just about perfect for smashing a head against. 

 

* * * * 

 

Three days later, Merlin was ready to commit murder. Huffing in exasperation, rapidly losing what little patience he had left, he glared at Arthur who in turn had his arms crossed and stared back defiantly. 

Behind the Prince, the reason for their squabble stood, more or less oblivious to the trouble it caused. A huge crate filled with the softest blankets and pillows to be found in the Castle was standing right in front of the fireplace, bolstering the most pampered dragon egg in known existence. True, it was also the *only* dragon egg in known existence, but that didn’t make it any less pampered. 

“No, my Lord,” Merlin bit out, emphasizing the title. “I don’t think that it’s too cold for the dragon. You’ve stoked the fire so high, that *I* am sweating and I’m not even near it. And no, I also don’t think that the egg needs to be turned right now, since I just did it ten minutes ago; and again, no, nobody’s been in here, yes, I’m sure of that and no, Arthur, your father still has no idea that we’re harboring Kilgarrah’s little spawn, and don’t even get me *started* on the fact that the last dragon, the very *male* last dragon left an egg behind that probably dropped from his ass when he was sneezing…!“

“You know, he has a name,” Arthur interjected calmly. Too calmly for Merlin’s liking who was still ringing for breath after his outburst.

“He doesn’t have a name,” Merlin insisted. “He doesn’t! That’s not his name, Arthur!”

“I think it is,” Arthur murmured, as he turned around and stroked a tender hand over the egg. “And I don’t even know why you’re so against it when *you* were the one that chose it.” 

Seething in helpless jealousy at the tender gesture that very much wasn’t directed at him, Merlin shook his head and grabbed some of Arthur’s discarded clothes, wringing them in his hands just to have something other to do.

“A dragon,” Merlin said, striving for the last shreds of his rapidly dwindling sanity, “even if this particular one will probably turn out to be just as spoilt and impossible as his foster dad, cannot be named ‘Baby’, no matter the circumstances.”

//Sleepy Curiosity// filled his mind as he said the name, and Merlin growled in frustration. Despite himself, he sent a warm feeling of security back and carefully soothed the tiny dragon back to sleep.

When he looked back at Arthur, the other man was watching him intently. “You’re good at that,” the Prince remarked neutrally. 

Stomach doing somersaults, Merlin played stupid. “Good at what?”

“This,” Arthur gestured vaguely, “this whole motherly, shushing, everything’s-going-to-be-alright thing you got going with him.”

Probably a lot less indignant than he should be, Merlin remarked: “I’m not his mother,” even as he gathered himself and forcefully sent a beam of pure energy into the egg. He’d been doing that for a while now, instinctively feeling that the Dragon needed the extra power to get ready for hatching.

Fighting against a wave of dizziness, Merlin sank against the table. All of a sudden, Arthur was there, cradling him against his broad chest, taking almost all of his weight in the process. Merlin tried not to enjoy the random moment of nearness too much.

“And this,” the Prince said a lot less gleefully than Merlin would have expected from him, “is exactly why you’re totally the mother.”

Frowning as he tried to figure out why Arthur sounded so pained, Merlin let himself be held upright by his liege, gaze resting on the softly pulsating egg.

 

* * * * 

They fell into a routine after a while. Merlin would do his chores for Gaius and everything that was necessary to keep up the necessary front of still being Arthur’s manservant, like mucking out the stables or bringing him food. 

But in the relative safety of the Prince’s chambers, things were different. Merlin wasn’t sure what exactly they were, though master and servant definitely wasn’t it. Friends didn’t really cut it either, as Arthur had an annoying – and extremely distracting – habit of invading his personal space like none of Merlin’s other friends ever did. Not even considering the fact that more often than not, Merlin would end up being carried to and sleeping in Arthur’s bed after one of Baby’s growth spurts.

“Co-parents,” Arthur suggested as he tucked the blankets around Merlin.

“Sure,” Merlin answered sleepily, squinting up at the other man. “Just don’t think that just because we’re playing happy little family in here means you’ll get the conjugal affection for free.”

He fell asleep with Arthur’s soft chuckles in his ear.

 

* * * * 

The first time they had sex, Baby’s egg glowed so wildly that it lit up the whole room. The //Contentment// he radiated pushed Merlin helplessly over the edge, even as he valiantly tried to shut off the connection.

“Arthur!” He gasped out as he came hard instead, spurting all over his quivering belly at the same time as Arthur groaned from deep in his throat and pushed into him one last time. Their eyes met as his seed filled Merlin with warmth, minds opening to each other.

They talked for a long time, never uttering a single word.

 

* * * *

 

They had a close call, once. 

Of all the times for Uther to develop a fatherly conscience, of course he had to choose the one where Merlin was busy rocking his upset Dragon child. Baby was straining against the thick shells still surrounding him, desperate to be let out. Knowing that it was too early still, Merlin had picked him up, hoping the closeness would reach the infant. 

As all calming thoughts and love-tinged distractions he’d sent over the connection didn’t stop the litany of //Out, out, out//, Merlin, in his utter helplessness, stuffed the egg inside his shirt, pressing it against naked skin. 

Fortunately, that did the trick, and //Hiccupping// slightly, Baby fell back asleep against his surrogate mother’s warm belly.

Unfortunately, that was the exact moment that Uther entered his son’s chambers, supporting a droopy-eyed looking Arthur.

“Sire!” Merlin exclaimed, staring at his obviously hurt lover anxiously, ignoring Uther’s instant frown. He’d been so busy with their little Dragon that he hadn’t felt anything via their connection, but as he concentrated on it now, he felt echoes of {Startled Fear} and {Pain} ripple through his mind. 

Merlin sighed in belated panic even as he let the doped-up {Contentment} his lover was radiating now wash over him. Arthur had obviously been to see Gaius, and still he’d had no idea that there even was something wrong. No wonder Baby had been so upset. He’d probably picked up on his father’s distress, unable to do anything about it.

The King still frowned at him. 

“Um,” Merlin said, mentally reviewing the last minute. “*es*,” he added finally. “Sire-*s*…Plural. Of course.”

“Of course,” Uther rumbled, still staring at Merlin as if he was mad. Following his gaze, Merlin looked down at himself.

Uh-oh. 

“Um,” he hedged. “Oh, you mean this? That’s an, um, a project? Of, um, Gwen’s. Yeah, uh, Gwen has started this project to design nicer clothes for pregnant women and, she, um, has asked me to, um…”

“Wear them for her?” Uther continued dryly. Merlin nodded unhappily, already seeing himself in the stocks again, put there for plain stupidity. 

But Uther just shook his head and murmured something to Arthur that sounded suspiciously like “Your manservant, your problem”. Waiting for some sort of help from his lover, Merlin looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Arthur giggled. “Pregnant, tihihi…”

Rolling his eyes skywards, Merlin shook his head. Men, he thought glumly as his hand rested on Baby.

 

* * * * 

 

“You look pale,” Gaius said one morning as Merlin had finally managed to drag his weary body out of bed. //Guilt// instantly filled his mind, prompting the warlock to sigh heavily. 

As he placed a bowl of porridge in front of him, Gaius continued, stroking a soft hand over Merlin’s hair. “Maybe you should talk to Arthur about this special project of his. Whatever it is, it can’t be worth working yourself to the ground over it.”

“Actually,” Merlin said softly, basking in twin feelings of //{Affection}// and //{Admiration}//. “It kind of is.”

 

* * * *

On the day that Baby was born, a storm raged over Camelot. Lightning raced over the jet-black sky and rain was bucketing down in heavy torrents, driving everyone inside.

Merlin had been drawn to Arthur’s chambers like a moth to a flame by the //Excitement// and slight //Apprehension// their little Dragon radiated in strong waves. He barely made it there, though, shaking as he was in reaction to the toll the now constant loss of energy took on him. 

As soon as he’d closed the door behind him, Arthur was at his side and wrapping an arm around him, he guided Merlin over to the bolstered chair that stood directly beside the crate.

“It’s time our boy is born,” the Prince murmured as he kneeled down and laid a steadying hand on Merlin’s chest. “He’s draining you without even meaning to. Draining your magic.”

Merlin didn’t have the strength to be surprised that Arthur knew about his secret. He just nodded exhaustedly and laid his hand over the one resting on him. It was time, indeed. 

Together, they watched as the egg began to pulsate harder. It was shuddering and rolling around a bit, as the tiny dragon inside it fought against the confining shell, hacking away at the thick skin that had nurtured and protected him for so long. 

It wasn’t enough. Everything he’d gotten from Merlin, it just wasn’t enough to make it.

Realizing this, Merlin didn’t hesitate. He opened his mind fully, letting the connection consume him. He immediately curled up in the chair, his whole body convulsing, as in his struggle for freedom, Baby took everything the warlock had to give.

Merlin heard Arthur’s voice, but couldn’t make out the words. The other man sounded panicked and he reached out for him blindly, trying to reassure even as he felt blackness threaten to overwhelm him.

The world lurched suddenly, and then he was lifted into his lover’s strong arms. Cradled like a babe, he lay shuddering against Arthur’s chest, feeling as if his very life-force was pulled from him in strong waves. 

For the first time since all this had happened, Merlin asked himself if bringing a Dragon into the world would cost him his own life.

“Arthur,” he rasped, voice almost gone.

“I’m here,” the Prince whispered desperately, pressing soft but urgent kisses to his tousled hair. “I’m right here, Merlin.”

He nodded, and tried to look at the egg, but the darkness had stolen his vision. “B-baby?”

Arthur tightened his grip on him. “He’s fine, Merlin, you hear me? Baby’s doing fine and he’s almost through. You can stop it now, close the connection.”

Merlin shook his head weakly. There was sweat trickling down his temples and he had trouble breathing. “H-he needs m-me…”

Arthur gave what sounded like a pained sob. “Damn it, you stupid moron, he’s fine! He’s not the one being drained right in front of my eyes! And what about me, huh? How the hell am I supposed to take care of a Dragon baby without you? I need you, Merlin! Don’t you dare leave me! Don’t you dare…“ His voice gave out and the force of his despair shook Merlin’s body.

Struggling for some strength, Merlin turned his head towards the man that had always been the other half of his soul. “I love you…” he breathed, feeling Arthur shake his head in denial.

“You hang on, alright?” The Prince whispered against his ear, voice stronger now and full of stubbornness. “He’s almost through, he almost made it, you hear me, Merlin? No point in giving up now. After all, I’m not going to be the one to change Dragon diapers.”

Feeling a smile grow on his face, Merlin was relieved. Arthur would be okay, he would take care of Baby and protect him with all he had. The darkness grew, and it tempted him with blessed oblivion.

It would feel so good, to just let go…

//NO!// A strong voice suddenly reverberated in his brain, and at the same time, the draining stopped and warmness flooded him. Merlin gasped and he gave a whole-body shudder of pure bliss as strength returned to him.

“Merlin!” Arthur exclaimed, full of panic, and the warlock struggled to form words, to reassure his lover.

“It’s all right, Daddy,” a new voice then said, as a small, wet shape landed with a plop on Merlin’s lap. “Mommy’s feeling better now. He only needs a moment to get used to it.”

When he finally managed to open his eyes, Merlin’s gaze fell on the slumbering Dragon child that had curled up on him as if he’d never been anywhere else. “Hey,” he murmured softly, as he reached out and stroked a trembling hand over Baby’s strangely soft skin.

Underneath him, Arthur let out a shaking breath full of relief. “God, Merlin…” 

The warlock turned his head to look at his love. “Look at him, Arthur. Isn’t he beautiful?”

Arthur snorted, obviously trying hard to get a hold of his feelings. “Yes,” he rumbled. “He’s marvelous.”

Grinning, Merlin took a deep breath and relaxed fully, one hand on the small Dragon child, the other on Arthur’s arm that was still snaked around his waist.

Together, they slept.


End file.
